In our kingdom, plots rest as easily as the guilty. That is, not at all. I am the first queen in centuries to fail at my task: instead of seven future kings, I birth only a single girl. Without the seven monarchs, our world is fated to end. My king, however, plays truant, shirking his duty to sire them by wallowing in other women's beds instead of mine. My only solace is dispatching assassins after my daughter. That stupid thing! While nobles despair and the commoners plot, she learns swordplay and seeks allies among the nobodies, trying to win over the rebel leader. He, though, has sworn a blood vow to end our bloodline—and, thereby, her. How I would like nothing more than to fold my decrepit body on the altar of defeat and have done with these troublesome plots and my tiresome life, but my king—the disgusting cur—has cast a spell to keep me from ending myself. Locked with him in wedded torment, I cannot endure. I flee into the night, a bedraggled creature wandering the dumpheap of our city. It is there that an ancient, sharp-toothed enemy finds me... and offers me a bargain. Venture into a bitter queen's glittering court, where dreams glisten while the wicked listen... CONTENT WARNINGS: Aside from the requisite killing and violence present in most fantasy, this has near SA (aborted by the assailant), mentions of suicide and suicide ideation, mention of violent domestic abuse, mentions of miscarriages and stillbirths, one baby's soul taken out, one magical abortion of babies that turn out to be monsters, and cremation of a very, very bad man. COMFORT WARNING: There is a very cute dog. I am not a dog person, yet here we are. My cat is Very Put Out at this.